Recipes & Cooking Desserts & Baking Pies Fruit Pie Autumn Fruit & Maple Custard Slab Tart 3.5 (2) 2 Reviews This fall tart serves a crowd. By Ellen Gray Ellen Gray Ellen Gray has been working in professional kitchens for over 40 years. Her experience as a restaurateur, baking instructor and recipe developer spans NY's metropolitan tri-state area. Ellen's roster of pie patrons include members of the Broadway and television community. When not in her kitchen, the award-winning pastry chef and food writer enjoys running half marathons. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Published on November 30, 2022 Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Kelsey Hansen Prep Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Servings: 8 Aromatic pears and tangy cranberries play nicely with a decadent maple custard (mascarpone is the key ingredient) in this easy yet impressive tart. Prebaking the bottom crust safeguards against a soggy bottom. Ingredients 1/3 cup apple juice or cider 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp maple sugar or packed brown sugar 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries 1 ripe pear (Bartlett or Anjou), cored and chopped (1 cup) 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese 1 large egg, separated 1 17.3-oz pkg. (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed Directions For fruit filling, in a small saucepan stir together juice, 1/3 cup maple sugar, the cinnamon, and ginger. Cook over medium until sugar is dissolved. Stir in cranberries. Bring to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Simmer, uncovered, until cranberries pop and mixture begins to thicken, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pear. For mascarpone filling, stir together mascarpone cheese, egg yolk, and the 1 Tbsp. maple sugar. Cover and chill. Whisk together egg white and 1 Tbsp. water. Preheat oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured piece of parchment paper, unfold one pastry sheet and roll into a 15×10-inch rectangle. Trim 3/4-inch strips off each side. Use parchment paper to transfer the large piece of pastry to a 15×10-inch baking pan, leaving parchment under pastry. Brush edges with egg white mixture. Top edges with dough strips to form a border, gently pressing to adhere and trimming corners as necessary. Use a fork to prick bottom of pastry (not border). Bake until pastry is golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, unfold the remaining pastry sheet and roll into a 13×9-inch rectangle. Using desired cutters, cut shapes out of the pastry. Spread half the mascarpone filling in baked crust. Spoon cranberry filling over mascarpone layer. Drop spoonfuls of remaining mascarpone filling over cranberry filling. Brush edges of tart with some of the egg white mixture. Top with unbaked pastry. Brush top of pastry with egg white mixture; sprinkle with more maple sugar. If you like, place pastry cutouts on a parchment-lined baking sheet; brush with egg white mixture and sprinkle with more maple sugar. Bake until tart is golden brown and filling is bubbly, 20 to 25 minutes. (Bake pastry cutouts, if using, until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.) Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool 30 minutes before serving. Serves 8. Rate It Print